How To Hold A Badminton Racquet

When you start to play badminton you need to learn how to hold the racket so that you can perform the different shots with ease. There are 2 main ways of holding the racket: the backhand grip and the forehand grip.

Badminton Grips

You need to practise being able to change from one to the other fluidly. The instructions below are meant for right handed people so all you need to do is reverse everything if you are left handed.

Badminton: how to hit a backhand

The backhand grip is commonly used when the racket is facing away from your body. The forehand grip is used when making overhead shots and also shots on the same side of your body as the racket.

You should practise changing from one to the other when you have mastered the two of them separately.

Badminton: the forehand grip

For the forehand grip you place the left hand (right hand if left handed) on the neck of the racket and the racket head should be at right angles to the ground.

You then place your right hand in the centre of the grip and your thumb should be on the side of the handle but pointing up towards the racket head. Spread your thumb and forefinger to make a V shape on the top side of the eight sides of the handle.

For the backhand grip you begin with your hand in the forehand grip then move your thumb and forefinger round so that the V shape is on the top left hand side of the handle.

Your thumb should then go on the side of the racket to support it. Your thumb should always point forward too. Good luck!